Boris Johnson resignation: Sajid Javid says prayer meeting moved him to quit

England’s former Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, says he first thought about leaving Boris Johnson’s Conservative government a week ago.

What resolved him to quit, he told the BBC’s Sunday Morning show, was hearing a sermon on integrity at a prayer breakfast in Parliament on Tuesday.

He had previously given Mr Johnson the benefit of the doubt, he said.

When Mr Javid quit on Tuesday, a wave of resignations followed. Mr Johnson will now stand down in the autumn.

The event which triggered the prime minister’s downfall, described by Mr Javid on Sunday as the “final trigger”, was the suspension of MP Chris Pincher over sexual assault claims.

Mr Johnson had appointed Mr Pincher deputy chief whip – whose job it is to uphold discipline among fellow Tory MPs – in February, despite being made aware of earlier misconduct.

“It might sound a bit strange but I was listening to the sermon by this amazing man, Reverend Les Isaac – you know, he started Street Pastors,” Mr Javid told the BBC’s Sophie Raworth.

“I was listening to him talking about the importance of integrity in public life and, just focusing on that, I made up my mind.

“I went straight back to my office and drafted the resignation letter and went to see the prime minister later in the day.”

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